[You and Yuan Shujian headed toward the arena at Crane Pill Peak, with the White Crane girl leading the way. Her steps were light, and the sleeves of her snow-white robes fluttered in the wind.]
[Yet she never dared speak to either of you. When she occasionally glanced back, she could not hide the delight in her eyes—after all, the man beside her was Yuan Shujian, the eldest senior brother of Dragon Head Peak.]
[The three of you drew quite a few looks along the way.]
[When you reached the square at Elixir Crane Peak, the spectacle before you took you by surprise. You had expected an ordinary contest, only to find the square packed with disciples from every peak.]
[Ninety platforms, each two feet high, stood in a ring. Each had room for only one person and glimmered with the faint spiritual aura of green jade.]
[The ninety platforms corresponded to the ninety disciples from the eighteen lineages taking part in the contest. They would all compete at once.]
[The White Crane girl cupped her hands. "This way, senior brothers."]
[Many disciples in the square recognized Yuan Shujian and came over to greet him. He commanded tremendous respect in the mountain.]
[With a gentle smile, Yuan Shujian returned each greeting. He was neither haughty nor overly familiar; every gesture carried the bearing of an eldest senior brother.]
[Quite a few disciples studied you with curiosity and whispered among themselves, clearly intrigued by this unfamiliar face.]
[Many female disciples, too, looked at you with open admiration.]
[The White Crane girl did not leave at once. Instead, she stood nearby to attend to you.]
[Besides the platforms, viewing seats surrounded the square on two levels: the upper level was reserved for elders, while ordinary disciples sat below.]
[Elixir Crane Peak lived